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S. Faulks (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 2010

From the author of the bestselling Birdsong comes a powerful novel that melds the moral heft of Dickens and the scrupulous realism of Trollope with the satirical spirit of Tom Wolfe.

London: the week before Christmas, 2007. Over seven days we follow the lives of seven major characters: a hedge fund manager trying to bring off the biggest trade of his career; a professional footballer recently arrived from Poland; a young lawyer with little work and too much time to speculate; a student who has been led astray by Islamist theory; a hack book reviewer; a schoolboy hooked on reality TV and genetically altered pot; and a Tube train driver whose Circle Line train joins these and countless other lives together in a daily loop.

With daring skill and savage humor, A Week in December explores the complex patterns and crossings of modern urban life; as the novel moves to its gripping climax, its characters are forced, one by one, to confront the true nature of the world they—and we all—inhabit.

--This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Editorial Reviews

From Bookmarks Magazine

With clever nods to Charles Dickens, Anthony Trollope, and Tom Wolfe, Faulks combines a sharp eye for detail with an astute understanding of human nature to create a rich, human novel of contemporary manners. Though he provides a captivating account of London, the Los Angeles Times mused that, with a few minor changes, the characters could have been the denizens of any major city, so pervasive are the dilemmas they face. Moreover, critics pointed out that some of Faulks's characters and subplots are "undercooked" (Washington Post) and the glut of financial detail weighs down the narrative. However, it is a testament to Faulks's skill that, despite these missteps, A Week in December is mostly a compelling and sympathetic critique of modern life. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Booklist

In London, three weeks before Christmas 2007, the lives of several characters intersect and intercut each other. With savage accuracy, the story skewers (and explains) the banking industry and the subprime mortgage crisis while also touching on the evils of Islamic fundamentalism, the British school system, reality TV, role-playing computer games, and critics who delight in giving bad book reviews (a character perhaps added to ensure good book reviews?). Although the financial explanations are much appreciated, they do slow down the plot, as does the rather stereotypical exploration of why a Scottish-bred Muslim would become a fundamentalist terrorist. As in real life, a concept most of the characters have abandoned, Faulks’ best plotlines are those that involve relationships between people. --Marta Segal Block --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Perfect Paperback
• Publisher: Non Basic Stock Line (September 1, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0099551691
• ISBN-13: 978-0099551690
• Product Dimensions: 4.3 x 1.5 x 7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (43 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #6,994,395 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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